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Provide Agape

Kairos depends on "agape" to allow the ministry to be functional. Agape is love which is given unconditionally.

In Kairos we have several types of "agape." Written agape which is posters and/or letters addressed to the weekend group as a whole or individual letters or notes handwritten to each person on the weekend. If you elect to hand write notes, to the men on the weekend there are a couple of requests we have. Team members must write to each of the residents on the weekend. That number will be up to 42. Non team members can write between 1 or 42 letters. The letters must be handwritten and convey the love of Christ to each one you write. Please use the salutation "Dear Man in Blue." Do not seal the envelopes. We will not be able to supply you with the names of each person attending the weekend. In your letter please share with the men of what you have been doing for them, be it praying, fasting or offering up your days activities to God for the weekend. The impact of your "agape" will be absolutely critical in the residents coming to understand the love of Christ. You may send your agape to PO Box 791, Nampa, ID 83653-0791 and we will include it on the weekend. We respectfully request no agape be sent to the team. If you would like to email a piece of wall agape, please send it to Agape@KairosIdaho.org and we will print it and make it available on the weekend.

Another form of agape is "green" agape. During some of the 4th day outside movements the candidates are asked to donate to the movement to allow it to continue. In others the "sponsor" is asked to financially support the weekend by donating the candidate's fees. In Kairos, neither approach is possible as the candidates or residents do not have funds available to them to assist in the cost of the the weekend. Likewise the sponsor on the weekend is a team member appointed usually the week before and will never actually meet the resident until Thursday night of the weekend. Placing the burden on the team may in some cases exclude them from participating. So we come to you the "street" for green agape. The cost of a normal weekend here in Idaho will be somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000 to cover the materials and food for the weekend. That amount also assists in covering some of the team expense.

Kairos is probably best know for the agape that comes in the form of cookies, and we need thousands of them! For each weekend we need 2,500+ dozen cookies. On Thursday night when we first go in the greatest icebreaker is to offer the person you host for the evening a hot cup of coffee or cold drink and a dozen of the finest cookies. Cookies are kept available in the community room all weekend. On Saturday a dozen cookies is distributed to each resident of the institution. We also keep the security stations and all the administration offices well supplied while we are there. The cookies carry a special message no matter where they go. As attested to by those who have received them in the past, the cookies carry a special love with them. While we previously asked people to bake homemade cookies and donate them, the Idaho Dept. of Corrections has changed the policy regarding food brought into the prisons. Cookies must be commercially prepared and sealed. Please donate your $$ GENEROUSLY for the purchase of these cookies.

No matter which form of agape you elect to provide to support the weekend, we thank Jesus for you and your generous support of this ministry to those incarcerated. We pray the blessings of the Most Holy Trinity to fall upon you and your family.

From Matthew 26, "I was in prison and you visited me," and from John 13, "As I have loved you, so you should love one another."